Date:23/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/23/stories/2008022355110800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Synthesising math with life science

Staff Reporter

TIRUPATI: Sri Padmavathi Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) is conducting a five-day national workshop on ‘Mathematical modelling in biology’ from February 23 in collaboration with Hyderabad-based C.R.Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics and Computer Sciences. Conducted under the auspices of its Department of Applied Mathematics in commemoration of its silver jubilee, the prestigious meet is said to be the first of its kind in south India.

While biologists consider mathematics as a difficult subject, the mathematicians look down upon life sciences. The meet seeks to explain the synergic effect achieved by blending the two. “History reveals the successful conglomeration of mathematicians, biologists and medical practitioners. In fact, sophisticated mathematical results have been used in and have emerged out of life sciences”, says Vice-Chancellor G. Sarojamma, who is hosting the meet as a professor of mathematics.

Subject relevance

Development of stochastic processes and statistical methods to solve problems in genetics and epidemics is a relevant example of synthesis, while there are many mathematical models having been developed to solve biological problems.

Some areas of biology which have relevance to mathematics are ecology and ecosystems, genome organisation and expression, molecular structure and function, neurobiology, biotechnology, plant biology, cardiovascular dynamics, physiological fluid dynamics, bioinformatics, etc.

The workshop will be inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan C.R. Rao of Penn State University (USA) on Saturday, in the presence of former Vice-Chancellor of Dravidian University P.V.Arunachalam, APSCHE secretary M.D. Christopher.